Newcastle vs Qarabag – News and Probable Lineups

As they finalize their Champions League playoff matchup, Newcastle United welcomes Qarabag FK to St James’ Park on Tuesday evening, a fixture that can be rightly termed a dead rubber.

Eddie Howe’s squad demolished their Azerbaijani opponents 6-1 in the first leg last week, meaning only the most monumental of disasters would prevent them from reaching the last 16 at this point.

Match overview

Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon, Anthony Gordon.

Mission-driven to lead Newcastle into the last 16 of the Champions League, the former Everton and Liverpool ace broke records during the first leg in Azerbaijan, netting an impressive four goals to essentially conclude the playoff tie.

The list of accomplishments attributed to Gordon is extensive, but a brief overview is merited; he recorded the fastest hat-trick from an English player in this competition, became the first Newcastle player to score four in a UCL match, and is now the Magpies’ top scorer in a Champions League campaign with 10 goals.

Malick Thiaw and Jacob Murphy also contributed to the scoreline, and historical data favors Newcastle; in previous instances where a team won the first leg of a European Cup knockout encounter by 5 or more goals, that team has advanced every time, totaling 91 occasions.

Howe’s team can already start to look forward to a confrontation with either Chelsea or Barcelona in the last 16, although their momentum faced a minor setback when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against a Nico O’Reilly-led Manchester City in the Premier League at the Etihad on Saturday night.

St James’ Park has lost its imposing reputation in recent matches, as the home side has suffered three defeats in their past four games at home across all competitions, while also conceding 2 or more goals in five of their last six at the venue.

Qarabag will cling to any hope they can muster before what seems like an almost impossible mission for the Azerbaijani outfit, who nonetheless have put forth a commendable performance in the Champions League, irrespective of the outcome in northern England.

Qurban Qurbanov’s squad will always remember their victories over Benfica and their hard-earned draw with Chelsea, but they have also succumbed to fatigue in European play, exposing their defensive weaknesses severely.

Indeed, Qarabag has now conceded six goals in successive Champions League matches, having also faced a thrashing from Liverpool, while allowing multiple goals in each of their six outings in this elite tournament.

The underdog visitors have not managed to defeat an English club in any competition, recording nine losses and one draw from their ten such encounters, including suffering five defeats in all their away matches against English teams with a combined score of 19-1.

Qarabag’s domestic match against FK Neftchi this past weekend was postponed, granting Qurbanov’s team additional time to prepare for the trip to England, but they likely will soon redirect their focus back to the Azerbaijani Premier League title race, where they are currently four points off the top.

Team News

Newcastle defender Thiaw is set to miss Tuesday’s match due to a one-match suspension after receiving his third yellow card of the UCL season in the first leg, although the timing may work in his favor as he will be eligible for the last 16.

Thiaw will be joined on the sideline by Bruno Guimaraes (thigh), Emil Krafth (knee), Fabian Schar (ankle), Tino Livramento (thigh), and Lewis Miley (thigh), but neither Sven Botman (back) nor Yoane Wissa (knock) have been definitively ruled out yet.

Howe is unlikely to risk the latter in this fixture, and one or two youngsters could even find themselves in an experimental starting XI with the tie nearly decided.

On the Qarabag side, experienced defender Bahlul Mustafazada had to leave the field during the first leg after just 22 minutes due to an adductor injury, potentially sidelining the 28-year-old for 10 to 12 weeks.

Right-back Dani Bolt stepped in to replace him in the first leg, but Samy Mmaee and Badavi Huseynov are also viable central alternatives.

The scorer of Qarabag’s solitary goal last week, Elvin Cafarquliyev, is likely to keep his place over fellow left-back Toral Bayramov, who happens to be the visitors’ leading scorer in the league this season, netting seven times.

Newcastle United probable starting XI:

Ramsdale; Trippier, Boatman, Burn, A. Murphy; Willock, Tony, Joelinton; J. Murphy, Residence, Barnes

Qarabag FK probable starting XI:

Kochalski; Silva, Bolt, Huseynov, Medina, Cafarquliyev; Jankovic, Bicalho; Montiel, Duran, Zubir

No Newcastle supporter should criticize their players for easing off on Tuesday, whether Qarabag opts for damage limitation or takes a bold approach with nothing to lose.

Howe’s squad may have experienced a dip in defensive resilience at home of late, but we can only envision a dominant performance leading to a straightforward win, a clean sheet, and a smooth entry into the last 16.